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More than a newspaper

The Commons is the public face of a larger nonprofit organization, Vermont Independent Media, Inc.

We came to life from the ground up in 2004, as members of the community became increasingly concerned about the consequences of absent corporate ownership of the daily newspaper in town and the need for local people to have access to the skills to create their own grassroots media.

VIM came to life lovingly and carefully thanks to indefatigable volunteers. The first public programs of the Media Mentoring Project began in 2005, and the first issue of The Commons was published in 2006. The newspaper was published monthly until 2010, when we began a weekly schedule. We are published on Wednesdays 51 times a year.

Our mission

Recognizing that a vigorous exchange of ideas and information allows democracy to function and is the lifeblood of a community, Vermont Independent Media:

• creates a forum for community participation,

• promotes local independent journalism,

• fosters civic engagement by building media skills

through publication of The Commons and commonsnews.org, and through the Media Mentoring Project.

Nonprofit IRS filings

By law, every 501(c)3 nonprofit organization must make its IRS filings available to the public. Here are ours.

Office hours

We attempt to keep our small newsroom open during the day on weekdays. But we are sometimes out covering the news, many of us are part-time, and we keep odd hours. We welcome your visit, but please make an appointment so you don't make a special trip.

Directions to the office

We're at 139 Main St., Brattleboro, Vermont (the Hooker-Dunham Building).

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Voices / Letters from readers

Decommissioning nuclear power plants still demands public scrutiny

One of the common misconceptions about nuclear power plants is that once they are “shut down,” the work in ensuring safer conditions on the site is over. In fact, that is not true.

The decommissioning process — now in progress at Vermont Yankee — is often the most dangerous time in the life cycle of a plant, as the staff overseeing operations has been drastically reduced.

The terms of the decommissioning are critical in ensuring the safest outcome.

Public officials as well as the New England Coalition have expressed concerns that the company intending to buy the old nuclear plant, NorthStar, has not provided adequate assurance that it has the funds to own the plant and see the decommissioning process through properly.

We have witnessed recently the importance of storing radioactive materials safely in Hanford, Wash., where a 20-foot section of a tunnel housing contaminated radioactive waste collapsed and hundreds of workers were ordered to “take cover” at the complex where waste from the production of nuclear weapons has been stored.

An August 2015 report by Vanderbilt University’s civil and environmental engineering department had warned about the safety of the tunnels and the dangerous and contaminated waste stored there. The Union of Concerned Scientists had warned that collapse of the tunnels could lead to serious radiological release.

Nuclear waste is hazardous for tens of thousands of years. The site for storing it at Vermont Yankee is located on the river over an aquifer that provides water for people downstream.

The NEC is seeking status to intervene in the process, not only to try to ensure a safer decommissioning outcome but to protect the land and the water.

Ameila SheaWilton, NH

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Editor’s note: Our terms of service require you to use your real names. We will remove anonymous or pseudonymous comments that come to our attention. We rely on our readers’ personal integrity to stand behind what they say; please do not write anything to someone that you wouldn’t say to his or her face without your needing to wear a ski mask while saying it. Thanks for doing your part to make your responses forceful, thoughtful, provocative, and civil. We also consider your comments for the letters column in the print newspaper.